Dispute Over Drug Money Behind Firing That Killed 4 In Manipur's Lilong: Report

The situation in Lilong Chingjao area in Manipur's Thoubal district, where four men were killed by the banned insurgent group People's Liberation Army (PLA), remained calm on Tuesday after the government deployed more security forces there, officials said.

Two critically injured people are being treated at an intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in the state capital Imphal.

Officials said insurgents of the PLA arrived at the house of a man who has several narcotics cases pending against him.

Within minutes, hundreds of people gathered outside the house of the suspected drugs dealer at Lilong Chingjao village, 15 km from the Thoubal district headquarters, and chased away the PLA insurgents.

While on the run, the insurgents opened fire on the locals, killing four and injuring some others.

The Revolutionary People's Front (RPF), the political wing of the insurgent group, in a statement said the gunmen were from the PLA, and they are holding an internal inquiry into the incident.

Both the RPF and the PLA are banned under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The incident was seen as the fallout of a dispute over money collected through illegal drug trade, the officials said.

After the incident, police held an inter-faith meeting in the presence of civil society leaders and Lilong MLA Abdul Nasir to ease tension in the area. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also assured that the culprits will be arrested and punished as per the law. The Chief Minister visited Raj Medicity hospital, where the injured were being treated.

After his visit, Mr Singh posted on X, "We strongly condemn all forms of violence, and the state government has launched mass combing operations to nab the culprits and the culprit will be punished according to the law. No one is above the law."

Additional security forces have been deployed in the area and patrols have been increased to prevent any untoward incident, he said.

With curfew in five districts of Imphal valley in view of the "prevailing law and order situation", only a few vehicles were seen running as most shops remained closed.

Those who were killed yesterday in Lilong have been identified as Md Daulat (30), M Sirajuddin (50), Md Azad Khan (40), and Md Hussain (22), the officials said.

Ten others were injured. They are being treated in another hospital in Imphal. Four of them received gunshot wounds, and of the four, two are in ICU.

After the attack, angry locals set fire to four vehicles in which the attackers had arrived.